François MaréchalPh D. in engineering Chemical process engineer
Researcher and lecturer in the field of computer aided process and energy systems engineering.
Lecturer in the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and environmental sciences engineering in EPFL.
I'm responsible for the Minor in Energy of EPFL and I'm involved in 3 projects of the Competence Center in Energy and Mobility (2nd generation biofuel, Wood SOFC, and gas turbine development with CO2 mitigation) in which i'm contributing to the energy conversion system design and optimisation.
Short summary of my scientific carrer
After a graduation in chemical engineering from the University of Liège, I have obtained a Ph. D. from the University of Liège in the LASSC laboratory of Prof. Kalitventzeff (former president of the European working party on computer aided process engineering). This laboratory was one of the pioneering laboratory in the field of Computer Aided Process Engineering.
In the group of Professor Kalitventzeff, I have worked on the development and the applications of data reconciliation, process modelling and optimisation techniques in the chemical process industry, my experience ranges from nuclear power stations to chemical plants. In the LASSC, I have been responsible from the developments in the field of rational use of energy in the industry. My first research topic has been the methodological development of process integration techniques, combining the use of pinch based methods and of mathematical programming: e.g. for the design of multiperiod heat exchanger networks or Mixed integer non linear programming techniques for the optimal management of utility systems. Fronted with applications in the industry, my work then mainly concentrated on the optimal integration of utility systems considering not only the energy requirements but the cost of the energy requirements and the energy conversion systems. I developed methods for analysing and integrating the utility system, the steam networks, combustion (including waste fuel), gas turbines or other advanced energy conversion systems (cogeneration, refrigeration and heat). The techniques applied uses operation research tools like mixed integer linear programming and exergy analysis. In order to evaluate the results of the utility integration, a new graphical method for representing the integration of the utility systems has been developed. By the use of MILP techniques, the method developed for the utility integration has been extended to handled site scale problems, to incorporate environmental constraints and reduce the water usage. This method (the Effect Modelling and Optimisation method) has been successfully applied to the chemical plants industry, the pulp and paper industry and the power plant. Instead of focusing on academic problems, I mainly developed my research based on industrial applications that lead to valuable and applicable patented results. Recently the methods developed have been extended to realise the thermoeconomic optimisation of integrated systems like fuel cells. My present R&D work concerns the application of multi-objective optimisation strategies in the design of processes and integrated energy conversion systems.
Since 2001, Im working in the Industrial Energy Systems Laboratory (LENI) of Ecole Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) where Im leading the R&D activities in the field of Computer Aided Analysis and Design of Industrial Energy Systems with a major focus on sustainable energy conversion system development using thermo-economic optimisation methodologies. A part from the application and the development of process integration techniques, that remains my major field of expertise, the applications concern :
Rational use of water and energy in Industrial processes and industrial production sites : projects with NESTLE, EDF, VEOLIA and Borregaard (pulp and paper).Energy conversion and process design : biofuels from waste biomass (with GASNAT, EGO and PSI), water dessalination and waste water treatment plant (VEOLIA), power plant design (ALSTOM), Energy conversion from geothermal sources (BFE). Integrated energy systems in urban areas : together with SCANE and SIG (GE) and IEA annexe 42 for micro-cogeneration systems.
I as well contributed to the definition of the 2000 Watt society and to studies concerning the emergence of green technologies on the market in the frame of the Alliance for Global Sustainability.
Wilfried KurzWilfried Kurz is Professor Emeritus of Materials Science at "Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL" (the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne). He received his diploma and doctors degree from University of Leoben, Austria. In 1964 he joined the staff of the Battelle Geneva Research Laboratories, which he left in 1971 as head of the physical metallurgy group. In the same year he was appointed at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, where, until his retirement in 2003, he directed the Laboratory of Physical Metallurgy as well as of the Laser Materials Processing Centre. After participating in 1972/73 in the foundation of the curriculum in Materials Science and Engineering at EPFL he was twice Head of Department. Under others he served as president of SVMT (Swiss Assoc. for Materials Science & Technology) and of FEMS, the Federation of European Materials Societies. Author of four books, he published some 250 papers and patents, principally on the science and technology of solidification microstructures and processes. Professor Kurz is corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, highly cited researcher and the recipient of awards from Eisenhuette Oesterreich; The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS, USA); ASM International, USA; Société Française de Métallurgie et de Matériaux; Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Materialkunde; Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, London; Associatione Italiana di Metallurgia; Peoples Republic of China; Federation of European Materials Societies; and Iron and Steel Institute of Japan.
Selected publications of recent years:
Fundamentals of Solidification, W. Kurz, DJ Fisher, Trans Tech Publ., Switzerland,, 4th revised edition 1998, 305 p
Solidification, H Müller-Krumbhaar, W Kurz, E Brener, in: Phase Transformations in Materials, G Kostorz, ed., Wiley-VCH, 2001, p.81-170
Single-crystal laser deposition of superalloys: Processing-microstructure maps, M Gäumann, C Bezencon, P Canalis, W Kurz, Acta Mater., 49 (2001) 1051-1062
Solidification microstructure processing maps: Theory and application, W Kurz, Adv. Eng. Mater., 3 (2001) 443-452
Dendritic growth, W Kurz, R Trivedi, in: Proc. MC Flemings Symposium on Solidification and Materials Processing, eds R Abbaschian, H Brody, A Mortensen, TMS, Warrendale, PA, 2001, p. 87-99
Massive Transformation and Absolute Stability, M. Lima, W. Kurz, Metall. Mater. Trans. 33A (2002) 2337-2345
Introduction to Materials Science, JP Mercier, G Zambelli, W Kurz, Elsevier, Paris, 2002, 461 p.
Epitaxial deposition of MCrAlY coatings on a Ni-base superalloy by laser cladding, C Bezencon, A Schnell, W Kurz, Scripta Mater. 49 (2003) 705-709
Peritectic Coupled Growth, S Dobler, TS Lo, M Plapp, A Karma, W Kurz, Acta Mater., 52 (2004) 2795-2808
Solidification cracking of superalloy single- and bi-crystals, N Wang, S Mokadem, M Rappaz, W Kurz, Acta Mater., 52 (2004) 3173-3182
Laser Repair of Superalloy Single Crystals with Varying Substrate Orientations, S Mokadem, C Bezencon, A Hauert, A Jacot, W Kurz, Metall. Mater. Trans. 38A (2007) 1500-1510
Plane Front Solidification, W. Kurz, ASM Handbook Vol. 15: Casting, 2008, 293-298
Solidification microstructures and solid-state parallels: Recent developments, future directions, M Asta, C Beckermann, A Karma, W Kurz, R Napolitano , M Plapp, G Purdy, M Rappaz, R Trivedi, Acta Mater., 57 (2009) 941971
Solute Trapping-Free Massive Transformation at Absolute Stability, A. Jacot, M. Sumida, W. Kurz, Acta Mater. 59 (2011) 1716-1724